RAZ's TOTL review and rambles thread... could it be.... alive?

[mvvRAZ]

Didn’t realise you had your own thread @mvvRAZ - Nice! I’m curious to know, what sort of music do you listen to? Do you have a few go-to albums/songs that you use for assessing IEM’s that you could possibly share? It would definitely help me to understand your preferences a bit more cheers

I have a pretty large variety honestly. I listen to quite a lot of rap (Eminem, Mick Jenkins, Ab-Soul and tons of 90s stuff like Wu-Tang Clan). Then I have a fair bit of jazz, soul and those classics, modern pop/EDM, like Jamie Woon, TOKIMONSTA etc etc, some rock and metal

Loads of Jungle (the group), and quite a lot of K.Flay (cannot recommend the Seattle sessions album enough)

The only genre that I don’t tend to spend much time on is classical - I quite like vocals so the majority of my music features them in one way or another.

I don’t really do a specific set of audiophile tracks as I find that those don’t really give me a good idea of what spending my day to day with an IEM will be like

 

[Damz87]

I have a pretty large variety honestly. I listen to quite a lot of rap (Eminem, Mick Jenkins, Ab-Soul and tons of 90s stuff like Wu-Tang Clan). Then I have a fair bit of jazz, soul and those classics, modern pop/EDM, like Jamie Woon, TOKIMONSTA etc etc, some rock and metal

Loads of Jungle (the group), and quite a lot of K.Flay (cannot recommend the Seattle sessions album enough)

The only genre that I don’t tend to spend much time on is classical - I quite like vocals so the majority of my music features them in one way or another.

I don’t really do a specific set of audiophile tracks as I find that those don’t really give me a good idea of what spending my day to day with an IEM will be like

Thanks for sharing that man

 

[Deferenz]

Man! I just found this thread, and I am glad I did. I trust @mvvRAZ ears more than anyone else on the forum, and will be happily following this thread, as I am finally about to make the move to TOTL iems, coming from full sized headphones.

What TOTL iem do you think you may get? Is there anything that has caught your attention?

I have been finding this thread interesting and useful.

 

[Deferenz]

I listen to quite a lot of rap (Eminem, Mick Jenkins, Ab-Soul and tons of 90s stuff like Wu-Tang Clan).

I also listen to a large amount of 90s rap. To me that was the golden age of hip-hop.

 

[mvvRAZ]

I also listen to a large amount of 90s rap. To me that was the golden age of hip-hop.

I can’t say that the new stuff isn’t worth listening to as I do find quite a lot of albums and artists pleasant, but yes, the 90s rap has a certain authenticity that simply cannot be reproduced

 

[doctorjuggles]

I know it's a little unusual that someone else has been included in the rankings of someone who is much more vocal and well-known, so I thought I'd add this little coda. If it helps (and if I may be so bold as to suggest that this might be why @mvvRAZ has included my rankings on his own IEM rankings list/thread) - Raz and I seem to hear things almost exactly the same way (save for a few specific instances) but just with different preferences. So if I find something to have lots of top end but it's quite sweet/airy, Raz will love it, I will be a bit less enthused as I prefer a slightly lower energy. I'm far more forgiving of an overly bassy sound, even it it means the midrange takes a slight back seat. Raz will usually agree that it's bassy but with decent midrange, but it's unacceptable for him because he loves his midrange to be a very specific way.
Because of this, Raz and I frequently share info on "must hear" gear that we think the other might appreciate, even if just to share what our own definition of certain elements are (both good and bad).

I'm not quite as gung-ho and head first when it comes to buying new gear though, so it's extremely likely I'll be hanging onto his coat-tails rather than leading the charge, but it's always fun to get involved in audio chat (and much more) with one of the forum's favourite characters. Thanks for the invite, Raz

 

[Wes S]

What TOTL iem do you think you may get? Is there anything that has caught your attention?

I have been finding this thread interesting and useful.

So far, VE V8 is at the top of my list.

 

[soundperfection]

I’ve only demoed the uni elysium. I haven’t been able to do a proper comparison side by side by I discussed it with @twister6. With silicone tips he found the Elysium to be a fair bit brighter (and so did I), as well as thinner. Foam tips on the universal seem to do a great job though, getting the sound a lot closer to what I’m experiencing with the custom

Problem with foam is that tho it does tame the treble it also kills the extension. Therefore I always look for iem that hit my preference with silicone tips.

 

[mvvRAZ]

Problem with foam is that tho it does tame the treble it also kills the extension. Therefore I always look for iem that hit my preference with silicone tips.

Specifically regarding the Elysium, it’s one of my easiest custom recommendations and one of my least recommended universals

So far, VE V8 is at the top of my list.

the VE8 is nice but you might as well get an EVE20 Imo, they’re pretty similar. The 64 A18S is also considerably more technical with much, much nicer treble and extension at the expense of some midrange texture

 

[Wes S]

Specifically regarding the Elysium, it’s one of my easiest custom recommendations and one of my least recommended universals



the VE8 is nice but you might as well get an EVE20 Imo, they’re pretty similar. The 64 A18S is also considerably more technical with much, much nicer treble and extension at the expense of some midrange texture

. . .and that's why I am following this thread. Once I do have the funds, I will definitely be seeking some more specific advice from you. The Noble Sultan is also on my radar.

 

[doctorjuggles]

Specifically regarding the Elysium, it’s one of my easiest custom recommendations and one of my least recommended universals

It's one of the ones on my ranking list where I've taken loads of flack and where we probably disagree the most for rating it so low and I wonder if having heard the store demo unit is the primary reason for that

 

[Deferenz]

Thanks @mvvRAZ - I've put up a tentative ranking list - I'll add more of the IEMs I've listened to and comments next to anything I think it appropriate once I have a little more time.
Anything I've reviewed on Head-Fi has a link to my review. Fun!

I see that you have put the Legend X in with the cream of IEMs. That is high praise. I’m very interested in see how the LX compares to the Odin. That new flagship from EE is now on my radar. Hopefully @mvvRAZ will be able to share his thoughts shortly

 

[doctorjuggles]

I see that you have put the Legend X in with the cream of IEMs. That is high praise. I’m very interested in see how the LX compares to the Odin. That new flagship from EE is now on my radar. Hopefully @mvvRAZ will be able to share his thoughts shortly

Yep - a good example of where my tastes differ from Raz's. He's a fan, but although the technicalities rate high, there's just not enough sparkle and air for him. Totally get it, and I totally get why anybody finds it not quite to their taste, but to me it's such a brilliant IEM at what it does. The resolution and technicalities are all there, and the midrange is full and lush, which is my preference. But when it comes to straight bass slam, nothing hits like the LX. For those reasons, it's one of my absolute favourites and it's unlikely to leave my collection (unless someone makes something that does what it does but doesn't lose the technical proficiency)
I'm keen to hear the Odin, but I doubt it does what the LX does (and quite rightly, otherwise what's the point?) I'm expecting a very different sound from the Odin, but beyond that I'm keeping an open mind and looking forward to a demo whenever that's possible

 

[mvvRAZ]

I see that you have put the Legend X in with the cream of IEMs. That is high praise. I’m very interested in see how the LX compares to the Odin. That new flagship from EE is now on my radar. Hopefully @mvvRAZ will be able to share his thoughts shortly

@doctorjuggles and I have a meetup that has to happen sometime hopefully soon so he will be able to offer a proper A/B between the Odin and LX

 

[doctorjuggles]

I'll add the Erlkonig and Thummim into the mix too. And the Sultan if it's around!